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by Stanford Law School, Stanford Law AI Initiative
At the intersection of AI and law, the ground is shifting faster than almost anyone can keep up with. Hosted by Irene Liu of Stanford Law School’s AI Initiative, AI Sidebar brings together leading academics, technologists, policymakers, lawyers, and industry leaders to unpack where AI is headed and what it means for law, business, society, and all of us. From the heart of the Bay Area, where AI is being built, debated, and put to the test, the show cuts through the noise to unpack the biggest developments shaping law, business, society, and all of us. Each episode asks the questions that matter: Who is accountable when AI calls the shots, how should we regulate powerful new tools, and what skills will tomorrow’s lawyers need? AI Sidebar is a clear, timely guide to how AI is reshaping the law and how the law may shape the future of AI.
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- 1 weeks ago30 min
Building Proprietary AI, Rethinking Legal Work, and the Future of the Law Firm
$500 million to build, not buy. What does Kirkland & Ellis’s massive AI investment signal about the future of law firms?In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Erica Berthou, a member of Kirkland & Ellis’s Global Executive Committee and co-head of Global Fundraising and Fund Transactions, about the firm’s ambitious AI investment. Irene and Erica explore why Kirkland chose to build rather than buy, what that decision means for legal work, lawyer training, and client pricing, and whether proprietary AI could become a defining competitive advantage for law firms.Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeIrene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeConnect with Erica Berthou. Chapters: Introduction Kirkland’s Investment: Why Build Instead of Buy? Palantir’s Advantages Capturing Lawyers’ Expertise and Judgment in Graphing Building Proprietary Legal Technology Investing in Legal Engineers and Talent Leadership, Culture, and AI Strategy Firm-wide Adoption and Client Response Change Management and Junior Lawyers How AI Will Change Legal Training AI and the Future of the Billable Hour Competitive Advantages Across Law Firms Measuring the Success of Kirkland’s AI Strategy Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 3 weeks ago34 min
Jason Boehmig on Building AGI for Law
What does it mean to build the next generation of legal technology when law firms, legal teams, and AI companies are all rethinking what lawyers can do? In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Jason Boehmig, who leads Astra for Law, OpenAI’s legal vertical. Before joining OpenAI, Boehmig founded Ironclad, one of the companies that helped reshape modern legal technology.Together, they discuss the evolution of legal tech and the future of AI in law. Boehmig reflects on the rise of legal engineering, the launch of Astra for Law, and what “AGI for law” could mean in practice. Irene and Jason also explore why keeping lawyers in the loop matters as AI becomes more capable, and how these tools could help lawyers deliver better service, expand access to legal help, and focus more on the judgment and guidance at the heart of lawyering.Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeIrene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeConnect with JasonLearn more about Astra for Law Chapters: Introduction From Ironclad to OpenAI Legal Tech’s Evolution Law Firms and Legal Teams as Builders Introducing Astra for Law Early Access and Legal Tech Partners Accuracy, Trust, and Human Review Why Build at the Model Layer? The Rise of Legal Engineering Building AGI for Law Keeping Lawyers at the Center The Most Exciting Part of Building Astra for Law Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Sep 28, 202633 min
Global Regulation, AI Safety, and Preparing for AGI
As frontier AI becomes more powerful, how can society balance its extraordinary promise with the safeguards needed to use it responsibly?In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Tom Lue, Vice President of Frontier AI Global Affairs at Google DeepMind and the company’s first general counsel, about the rapidly evolving global AI policy landscape. Lue discusses how AI policy has changed since he joined DeepMind, why shared standards and safety frameworks matter, and what it means to prepare for AGI. Irene and Tom also explore open models, public-private governance, and AI’s potential to advance science, health, education, and climate resilience while keeping humans at the center.Link List:Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeIrene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeConnect with Tom LueChapters: Introduction AI Policy Then and Now The Global AI Policy Landscape How AI Attitudes Differ Around the World Declining Attitudes Towards AI Frontier Safety, Frameworks, and Standards Public-Private Standards and the Role of Government Building a Global Framework Helping Policymakers Keep Pace Existing Law and AI Liability Open Models and Open Source Trade-Offs Balancing Open Models With Responsible Deployment Preparing for AGI What AGI Means for Legal and Policy Teams Optimism for the Future in the Age of AI Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Sep 14, 202638 min
How AI Is Reshaping Legal Hiring, Law Firm Roles, and In-House Careers
How is AI changing the legal hiring market, and what do lawyers need to do to stay competitive?In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Anna Gorodetsky, a partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa who oversees in-house counsel recruiting, about what law firms and legal departments are looking for in the age of AI. Gorodetsky shares what she is seeing in the market, from new AI innovation roles at law firms to the pressure on in-house teams to do more with technology. Irene and Anna also discuss the practical AI experience employers increasingly expect, what practicing lawyers and law students can do to stand out, and why judgment, communication, trust, and business context remain central to great lawyering.Link List:Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeIrene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI InitiativeConnect with Anna GorodetskyChapters: Introduction The Legal Hiring Market in the Age of AI Layoffs, Freezes, and Legal Team Restructuring Pressure on In-House Teams The Rise of the “Lawyer Plus” Profile AI Skills and Compensation What Have You Built With AI? AI in the Interview Process How Lawyers Can Stay Competitive New AI Roles at Law Firms Where Firms Are Finding AI Talent What AI Innovation Leaders Need to Succeed Preparing Law Students for an AI-Driven Market What Makes Top Candidates Stand Out How Candidates Can Become More Marketable The Future of Legal Hiring Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Aug 31, 202638 min
Why Open Source AI Is Having Its Moment, and What Legal Leaders Need to Know
What does open source AI really mean, why does it matter, and what should legal and business leaders be thinking about as the landscape continues to evolve? In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Heather Meeker, an internationally recognized open source software licensing expert, partner at TechLaw Partners, co-founder of Chinstrap Community, and author of Open Source for Business. Meeker explains why open source AI is harder to define than open source software, how open weights differ from truly open models, and why that distinction matters for lawyers advising companies on how these tools can be used. Irene and Heather also explore what legal and business leaders should know as open weight models enter organizations, from licensing and governance to security, transparency, and public trust. Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Irene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Connect with Heather Meeker Pre Order your copy of Open Source for Babies Chapters: Introduction What Does Open Source AI Mean? Open Source vs. Open Weights Why Open Source AI Is Having Its Moment Are Any AI Models Truly Open Source? Chinese Models and the Competitive Landscape Governing Open Weights in Organizations Compliance Tools and Shadow AI How Legal Teams Can Help, Not Block Security and Governance for Chinese Models Why Legal and IT Need to Work Together Sharing AI Best Practices The Open Weights Policy Debate Are Open Models Riskier? Transparency, Safety, and Linus’s Law The Regulatory Landscape Open Source for Babies How Lawyers Can Keep Up Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Aug 17, 202625 min
AI-Native, Lawyer-Centered: Building the Law Firm of the Future
What does it take to build a good AI-native law firm when the goal is not just efficiency, but giving lawyers more leverage, more agency, and more space for the human judgement at the heart of legal work? In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Ryan Daniels, co-founder and CEO of Crosby AI and a Stanford Law School alum, about what he’s learned building an AI-native law firm focused on commercial contracts. Daniels explains what “AI-native” means in practice, how Crosby differs from both a traditional law firm and a legal tech company, and why it remains, at its core, a law firm. Irene and Ryan also explore how AI can take on repetitive legal work, reshape the law firm business model, and make this an especially exciting time for lawyers who want to innovate. Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Irene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Connect with Ryan Daniels Learn more about Crosby Chapters: Introduction What Is an AI-Native Law Firm? Why Build a Law Firm Instead of Legal Tech? Why Commercial Contracts? Pricing by Deal, Not by Hour Measuring Human Review Time Designing AI Around Lawyers Keeping Lawyers in Control Building Empathy Between Engineers and Lawyers Lawyers, Engineers, and the Identity of an AI-Native Firm Finding Lawyers for a New Model Why Great Lawyers May Become More Valuable Why Clients Try Crosby The Future of AI-Native Law Firms Defining Quality in Legal AI Why This Is an Exciting Time to Build Advice for Lawyers and Law Students Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Aug 3, 202635 min
How Agentic AI Is Redefining the Role of the Product Counsel
For product lawyers, the agentic era is changing more than the tools; it is changing how products are built, how risks surface, and how legal advice reaches the business. And who better to explore that shift than the creator of Claude for Legal and associate general counsel at Anthropic, Mark Pike. Drawing on his experience at Slack and Anthropic, Pike offers a firsthand look at what product counseling requires when legal teams are advising not just on AI, but alongside it. Irene and Mark explore how lawyers can build trust with product and engineering teams, why technical curiosity matters, and how tools like Claude for Legal are reshaping the way legal guidance is created, delivered, and scaled. The conversation also points to a broader question for the profession: whether AI will reduce legal work or expand the universe of legal questions that teams are able to see and address. Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Irene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Connect with Mark Pike Explore Claude for Legal on GitHub Watch Mark's Presentation at Stanford Chapters: Introduction How Product Counseling Has Changed From Pat Signals to AI Agents Product Counseling in the Agentic Era The Product Lawyer as Miniature GC Getting Closer to the Work What Happens When Everyone Is a Builder? Guardrails, Automation, and Human Judgment Training Product Teams With Better Tools Making Legal Training Memorable Knowing When to Call in Experts Using AI to Understand New Legal Issues Working With Outside Counsel in the AI Era Technical Fluency for Product Lawyers Learning by Building Managing AI Agents Will AI Create More Legal Work? What Comes Next for Claude for Legal Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Jul 20, 202635 min
When AI Answers Beat Law Professors: What It Means for Lawyers and Law Schools
What does it mean for quality, legal expertise, and judgment when law professors actually prefer AI answers over answers written by other law professors in a blind study? In this episode of AI Sidebar, Irene Liu talks with Stanford Law Professor Julian Nyarko, faculty director of liftlab and co-director of Stanford Law’s AI Initiative, about his recent study examining how legal experts evaluate AI-generated work. Nyarko explains what the study reveals, why its findings matter for both legal education and practice, and how rigorous research can help the profession determine when AI performs well, when it falls short, and when it should be trusted. He also discusses how liftlab is evaluating AI across legal services, research, and education, including when AI tutors can support student learning and when they may get in the way. Together, they explore how this research is shaping Stanford Law’s approach to AI in the classroom, from tutoring tools to simulated negotiations, and what it may mean for the future of legal expertise and education. Learn more about the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Irene Liu, Executive Director of the Stanford Law School AI Initiative Julian Nyarko Stanford Profile Learn more about liftlab “Law Professors Prefer AI Over Peer Answers” Chapters: Introduction What Is liftlab? The Four Core Pillars of liftlab The Art of Contracts How liftlab uses AI The Study: “Law Professors Prefer AI Over Peer Answers” AI Tutors in Legal Education Potential Applications of the Findings Study Modifications Classroom Adaptation of the Study Underrated & Overhyped Uses of AI in Law Judgment, Lawyers, and the Future of AI Conclusion **********************Share AI Sidebar with your favorite lawyer friend — or anyone trying to keep up with where AI and law are headed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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About AI Sidebar
At the intersection of AI and law, the ground is shifting faster than almost anyone can keep up with. Hosted by Irene Liu of Stanford Law School’s AI Initiative, AI Sidebar brings together leading academics, technologists, policymakers, lawyers, and industry leaders to unpack where AI is headed and what it means for law, business, society, and all of us. From the heart of the Bay Area, where AI is being built, debated, and put to the test, the show cuts through the noise to unpack the biggest developments shaping law, business, society, and all of us. Each episode asks the questions that matter: Who is accountable when AI calls the shots, how should we regulate powerful new tools, and what skills will tomorrow’s lawyers need? AI Sidebar is a clear, timely guide to how AI is reshaping the law and how the law may shape the future of AI.
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